beauty contest

noun

1

a

: a competition between girls or women at which judges select the most beautiful

called also beauty pageant

b

: a contest or competitive situation that is likened to a traditional beauty contest especially in involving judgments made on the basis of physical attractiveness or popular appeal

… an elite automotive expo and beauty contest where cars of only the highest caliber … compete …

—Hannah Elliott

2

US politics : a presidential primary election in which the popular vote does not determine the number of convention delegates a candidate receives

Mr. Ford and Mr. Reagan are listed in the Republican preferential primary or "beauty contest."

—Charles Mohr

Examples of beauty contest in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Kurt's key takeaways Stretch 4 will not win a robot beauty contest. —Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 6 June 2026

Training beauty queens in Miami With 15 years of experience in the beauty industry, Gómez noticed upon arriving to Miami after the pandemic that there was a gap in training young Cuban women to compete in beauty contests. —Sarah Moreno may 31, Miami Herald, 31 May 2026

Meat loaf is a dish that would rarely win a culinary beauty contest. —Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 May 2026

The thick chestnut-colored spread won’t win any beauty contests. —Karla Walsh, Southern Living, 9 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1879, in the meaning defined at sense 1a